Just Another Slytherin
by 13Aphrodite
Summary: Astoria Greengrass has always been a little different from other Slytherins, but she's never done anything about it. With the final battle approaching, she has to make her final decision... Oneshot


AN: Just a quick warning… If you have not seen/read the Deathly Hallows, this will probably make no sense, so you may want to get up and read the amazing seventh book

Anyways…

This is the first one shot I've done, and I don't really tend to write them, but I felt really inspired to write this particular one Enjoy!

Just Another Slytherin

Everything was happening so fast. Just that morning, everything was normal – well, as normal as things had been the past year – and everyone had been going about the daily routine. The Carrows had come down to escort them to their classes, "punished" a couple of students who really weren't doing anything wrong, and the day had carried on.

Astoria Greengrass never did agree with anything the Carrows did. Anger boiled inside of her just at the thought of what those "people" and the awful headmaster had done to Hogwarts. It was supposed to be a safe haven for students, a place where they could learn and better themselves, not be tortured and forced to learn the dark arts.

But who was she to do anything about it?

The Carrows rarely picked on her house, because the parents of many of the students were deatheaters. It made her sick to see Slytherins aspiring to be like their pitiful, spineless parents, but who was she to question their decisions?

She was just another Slytherin.

It seemed everyone she knew was dying; not just physically, but emotionally as well. People who were the most optimistic, polite and kind people she had ever met were following the crowds sullenly, heads down, all the light gone from their eyes. Astoria almost cried every time she saw them.

Then there were the brave Gryffindors, like Neville Longbottom, who had dared to stand up to Snape when no one else would. How she admired them! However, every time she almost got up the nerve to ask to join _Dumbledore's Army _overwhelming self-doubt filled her. Why would they want a Slytherin working with them? Everyone hated their house… the house of dark arts, where all evil wizards, including Voldemort himself, came from.

She hated the sorting hat for putting her in this house. At first she had enjoyed it, asked for it even. She had become instant friends with Pansy Parkinson, the most popular girl in Slytherin, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. She had laughed with them at Harry Potter and his strange friends, and enjoyed helping him torment the trio. She felt safe and secure with them. And around third year, found herself falling in love with Draco Malfoy.

She never told him and Draco never showed any interest in her as anything other than a friend, so Astoria made up her mind ignore the heightening feelings inside her and hoped they would eventually fade.

Then fourth year came, and poor Cedric Digory was murdered by Lord Voldemort.

At the end of that year, and throughout fifth year Astoria began to actually realize how awful Pansy, Blaise and even Draco were being. She started hanging around them less and less every day, and soon left them completely, except for Draco.

He met her nearly every night, either in the room of requirement, or they snuck out into the grounds. She told him she didn't like the things he was doing, and he assured her he was only keeping up the image for fear of his father. She believed him, loving that there was still the good Draco she knew inside him, and in spite of everything she realized they were growing much closer.

But then sixth year came.

Draco had become a deatheater.

Her wonderful Draco, who she had confided her every secret to, had actually become one of Voldemort's followers… _And he was proud of it_. She wanted so badly to stop caring for Draco, and avoid him completely. She wanted no involvement in what he was becoming a part of.

But at night, when he returned crying to the common room as he did nearly five times a week, she was always there to comfort him. She would always love him, and he needed someone besides idiotic Pansy and proud Blaise to support him. It broke her heart to see him so broken inside over this task he had no choice but to perform, but she sat with him every night in an attempt to console him. She listened to him and he listened to her, and her heart clenched in horror with what he had to do.

Voldemort had told him to kill Albus Dumbledore.

Astoria knew Draco couldn't do it.

He wasn't a killer.

They shared so much together, and near the end of that horrible sixth year, after years of waiting, he had kissed her.

And told her he loved her.

_Loved Her… _Just a normal, Slytherin girl!

It was the only truly magical thing that happened to her at Hogwarts that year.

At the beginning of seventh year she had climbed on the train to Hogwarts, and almost ran to the car Draco usually sat in with Pansy and Blaise. She flung open the compartment door, hoping desperately nothing had happened to him over the summer.

And he wasn't there.

Her heart was broken into a million tiny pieces, but what was she going to do? Storm up to Malfoy manor and demand he came to Hogwarts?

She was just another Slytherin.

So now here she was, standing in the great hall, the Battle of Hogwarts about to start and Draco still hadn't made an appearance. A single tear escaped down her cheek, but she hastily wiped it away before anyone could see.

That's when Voldemort's voice sounded in all of their heads.

"_Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded… You have until midnight."_

"Someone grab him!" Pansy shrieked, and all the other houses stood up against Slytherin to protect the chosen one.

"Thank you Ms. Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said in a clipped voice, "The rest of your house may follow you and Mr. Filch out."

The rest of her house turned to leave, but something inside timid Astoria snapped, and new found courage flowed up inside her. "Screw this," she muttered under her breath, breaking out of the line of Slytherins leaving and timidly walking over towards the Gryffindors.

"What are you doing?" A blonde seventh year sneered at her as she approached the table, the eyes of three houses on her.

"What I should have done a long time ago," She sighed, then smiled slightly at the looks of confusion around her. "I'm going to stop being a Slytherin ass and give my loyalty to the people who deserve it."

She looked over at McGonagall for approval, only to see her smiling broadly. A small sound of clapping echoed from the back of the room, and soon people began to join. Soon the entire room was clapping for her, all smiling at her in admiration.

A tear escaped her eyes, but it was of joy. She was finally doing what she should have done years ago.

She was making a difference! _Her! Astoria Greengrass!_ Just a normal girl, finally had the courage to do things that could change the war; someone who wasn't from the house for bravery, intelligence or kindness.

Here she was…

Just another Slytherin.


End file.
